<resent, as my first attempt doesn't seem to have made it to the list>
Dear Councillors,
While agenda item 6 on our agenda for the Council meeting on
29 September, "Approval of Appointment of an Interim GNSO
Representative to the Empowered Community Administration" only
seems to deal with the interim arrangements, we would like to
take the opportunity to express our concerns over some of the
discussions in the Drafting Team on revisions to GNSO Bylaws
to account for participation in the Empowered Community.
While we support the idea of the Council as the voice of
GNSO in the Empowered Community, we note that there seems
to have been proposals for alternative voting structures
that would change the position of the Councillors appointed by
the Nominating Committee.
The current ICANN Bylaws describe the NCA members of the GNSO
Council as "entitled to participate on equal footing with other
members of the GNSO Council including, e.g. the making and
seconding of motions and of serving as Chair if elected."
Just as the NCA members of the ICANN Board, the NCA members of
the GNSO Council fulfil a very important function in representing
the parts of the GNSO community trough a wide community process
that doesn't fall within the scope of the existing constituencies.
This "none of the above" community should have an equal voice in
decisions related to the Empowered Community.
Therefore we want to make it clear that we can not support any
proposals to alter the Bylaws in such a way that the NCA Council
members would not have the same representation and voting power
in matters related to the Empowered Community as they have in other
Council matters.
Respectfully,
Avri Doria (Former GNSO Chair, while appointed by Nominating Committee)
Carlos Raúl Gutierrez (NCA)
Julf Helsingius (NCPH NCA)
Erika Mann (Board Member, NCA elect)
Valerie Tan (CPH NCA)